Playing with Shadows
by Myem04
Summary: Everyone has ways to cope with dark reality of shinobi life. Most are dark, twisted, and dangerous. A look at what happens when Sakura becomes the focus of someone's deadly obsession. Can the people that love her put aside their own less than pure desires and save her before it is too late.


During a bout of terrible writer's block on one of my other fictions, I started writing this little one-shot. I am shooting for gritty realism so the story is definitely dark. I'm not sure where this one will go yet, I just wanted to give it a little freedom. Let me know if it should stay as a one shot or should I expand it. As always, I don't own Naruto, I just like to play around with the characters a little. This is rated M for language and lemon.

Playing with Shadows

The seedy bar was crowded and noisy. The lighting was dim, with flickers of strobes and color coming from the small dance floor that was set back in the far corner. Tables filled all the other available square footage, except along the wall the dark wood bar occupied. Sultry, bass-heavy music was pumped into the space from unseen speakers, fueling the writhing mass of bodies grinding together on the dance floor. Smoke filled the air, giving everything in the bar a foggy haze. The place had a name, but most who came here just called it 'the Usual Place'.

It was Friday, so the place was packed with shinobi and the occasional thrill-seeking civilian. Normally the two didn't intermingle much, but there was always that bored shopkeeper or waitress determined to walk on the wild side and step into the dangerous world of the warriors and killers that ran their village. It was a cheap thrill for them, and shinobi had no need for those. Ninjas came here to drink, laugh, fuck, and forget.

One such shinobi was tucked in a corner of the bar, his chair twisted so his back was safely pressed into the spot where the two wood-paneled walls met. He scanned his surroundings, unconsciously checking for danger. He hid his scrutiny behind the simple action of bringing his glass to his lips and consuming the last of the liquor in it. With a quick hand gesture to a passing server, he ordered another.

She acknowledged his request with a quick nod and hurried off. With a quiet sigh, he leaned further back in his chair, lifting his elbow to the back of his chair and adopting a lazy posture. His attention turned from the people filling the bar to his companions seated around him.

As was their usual habit, they had pushed two tables together in the back of the bar, furthest away from the dance floor. It was an unspoken rule that they would gather together in this place every Friday. Attendance was mandatory when one was not on a mission or in the hospital. They were all powerful shinobi, the best of their generation, trained killers with few equals in the Five Nations, but here, they were just friends trying their best to outdrink each other and forget, just for a few hours, the horrors that came hand and hand with their chosen profession.

Most of them were still dressed in their ninja gear, indicating that they had probably just come in from some assignment or another. He, himself, had only removed his mask and vest before throwing on a clean shirt to cover the ANBU tattoo on his arm. The pants, he left on because the bloodstains were not visible on the black material. He casually picked at one of the stiffened areas with one hand. The fact that it wasn't his blood staining the pants leg gave him a certain satisfaction and a thrill of adrenaline left over from his mission earlier that day.

Images of the kill flashed in his mind and bloodlust filled his being, causing him to harden. Disgust with the sudden arousal made the corners of his mouth turn down. His eyes flickered across the room to where the only other person who had experienced what had happened that day sat with his own companions. The two ninjas' gazes met briefly. Hatake Kakashi nodded to the younger shinobi in understanding before returning his attention to his own group. Yes, Kakashi knew what it was like, he had done hundreds of such missions.

"Shikamaru, here is your drink." The server sat his drink on the table in front of him with a smile before hurrying off to deliver other orders around the table. The interruption helped him shake off his dark thoughts and return his focus to his friends grouped around him.

To his left sat Ino, who was draped over Sai and feeding the quiet ninja peanuts from the basket on the table. Shikamaru noticed that her fingers lingered just inside her newest conquest's mouth in a suggestive way. She would giggle whenever Sai's lips would tighten around the digit in order to hold it in place longer. Shikamaru didn't mind his old teammate's choice, but he was glad Choji was out of the village. His best friend had not yet completely gotten over his crush on the blond.

On the other side of Sai sat Rock Lee, who was flirting with the server bringing drinks to the table. The green spandex clad shinobi's advances were obviously welcome to the girl, evidenced by the fact that she allowed his hand to linger on her curvy hip.

Kiba took up the whole far end of the table, a pretty girl squirming in his lap. The Inuzuka heir always liked to 'date' young girls from the civilian side of the village. Something about their excitement and fear of shinobi seemed to turn him on and from the look of the girl's nervous glance around at the rowdy group, Kiba's night would end well for him.

He told Shikamaru once that it was the scent of this fear that did it for him. Kiba was nipping at his date's neck aggressively, causing her to squeak out little frightened yelps. In the spirt of friendship, Shikamaru extended out his shadows to poke at the anxious girl's thighs and along her ribcage, increasing her jittery squirming. Kiba cut his eyes toward him and gave a wide sideways grin to let Shikamaru know he appreciated the efforts.

With a chuckle, the shadow user returned to his drink, gulping down the hard liquor and motioning to the waitress for another before even putting down the empty glass. He wasn't sure how many it would take to blur out the image of that woman's face. Shikamaru had killed kunoichi in battle before, that didn't bother him, but he had never killed a civilian. He had certainly never slit a woman's throat while in the middle of a sex act before today.

A loud cackle of a laugh stirred Shikamaru from his dark remembrances. His eyes flickered up from his empty glass to Naruto, who was across the table, nuzzling Hinata's neck. The blonde was teasing his girlfriend and enjoying her blushing as she admonished him for his tasteless jokes. They were the perfect couple, loving and devoted, if you ignored the fact that, beneath the edge of the table, Naruto's hand was sliding up Sasuke's thigh to caress the Uchiha's manhood.

Everyone at this table of close friends had their own perverse ways of coping with the trauma of their everyday existence. From alcohol to sexual deviance or a varying combination of the two, Shikamaru knew that every shinobi at this table, hell, this whole damn bar, had some type of vice just to drown out the emotions and the images that tended to drive one mad. It was an unspoken truth that every one of them knew, but never spoke about. It was the underlying, common theme that they all shared. It was the reason the kunoichi, as powerful and brilliant as Hinata was, ignored her boyfriend feeling up another man while he strung kisses and nips down the side of her neck. That was just her own way to cope. Feigned ignorance could be just as addictive as the strongest liquor.

Shikamaru just needed to find his own vice to settle down his tormented soul. Drowning his sorrows in drink was clearly not enough tonight. He leaned his head back against the wall and looked at the ceiling in an imitation of his cloud-watching pose, reminiscing of the days in his youth when such simple activities were all that was needed to quiet his mind. He closed his eyes for a moment, intent on willing away his morbid thoughts, but flashes of pale, green eyes filled with fear before life faded from them, took away any hope of serenity. He jerked his head up with a curse. Where was that waitress with his drink anyway?

"You should probably slow down a little, Nara-san." The waitress chided him as she set down the full glass on the table.

"And you should mind your own damn business and just serve the drinks." Shikamaru wasn't in the mood to take advice from a civilian, bar server, who would never understand. Her mouth screwed up in an ugly way before she stomped away to serve a different table. The terse interaction caught the notice of the Copy Nin a few tables away.

Shikamaru could see the disapproval in his captain's visible eye and he knew if he didn't calm himself, Kakashi would have him brought in for a psych evaluation and those were never any fun. Anger flared in his chest at the intense scrutiny by his fellow ANBU, however, Shikamaru was smart enough to understand the need for it, so he pushed down the flames of rage and returned his attention to his drink.

Suddenly all of the other occupants at the table erupted into a boisterous litany of hollering, waving, and even cat-calling. Their attention concentrated toward the entrance of the bar. Shikamaru's eyes flew in the direction that his friends' enthusiasm was focused and, immediately, his gaze lost its bored affect.

Into the bar walked a vision of sultry, deadly perfection. A kunoichi with no equal among her peers, wearing a short, flowy black dress that clung to every sumptuous curve as she sauntered across the floor, her hips swaying enticingly back and forth. Her sexy, confident smile spread wider at the rowdy bunch's enthusiastic greetings. She paused halfway to their table to do a cute little twirl, showing off her outfit to her appreciative fans, who erupted in even louder noise at the show. Her long, lush, pink locks brushed the lower curve of her back that was bare due to the cut of her dress. The bodice was a halter-top style with a peek-a-boo slit that displayed the gentle curve of perfect breasts. Her twinkling laughter floated through the noise of the crowd, reaching Shikamaru's ears and shooting straight to his groin.

Haruno Sakura was a goddess of death, beautiful and dangerous, and every man in the room couldn't help but be totally entranced by her. Even Hatake Kakashi, her ex-sensei, uncovered his Sharingan to follow her progress across the bar, recording her movements for his own perverse pleasure.

She made it through the crowd to their table and stood behind Sasuke and Naruto, placing a dainty hand on each of their shoulders. It was as clear a sign of her possessive nature and claim on the members of her team. Sasuke slid over, opening the chair between him and Naruto for her to sit down.

Sakura made sure to greet everyone at the table with a combination of flirty hellos and good-natured, teasing jabs. She had the longest teasing exchange with Ino, trading their usual loving insults that would have gotten anyone else killed if they dared to speak the words out loud to either of the kunoichis.

Shikamaru watched in silence as Sasuke slid his arm into place on the back of her chair, his hand coming to rest on her far shoulder. At the same time, Naruto's lecherous attentions left Hinata to bury his face into the crook of Sakura's neck, planting light kisses and gentle nips on the pale, silky skin.

She ignored their familiar touches while she continued to laugh and joke with the shinobi seated around the table, until one of Naruto's love bites got a little too forceful. With a quick slap to his face, she warned him, and the amorous blond laughed out loud, placing another wet kiss to her neck before returning his attentions to the Hyuuga heiress.

Suddenly, her sparkling, emerald eyes moved to where the Nara was seated, his body stiff with tension. Being the focus of her attention hit him in the chest like a blade, pinning him in place.

"Hello Shika. I am glad to see you back safe."

Shikamaru couldn't figure out how her words could sound like a husky whisper and still be heard over the roar of noise that filled the bar. He just knew the sound of her voice traveled right down his spine and settled in his groin, causing a semi-hard state. All he could manage in response was a curt nod of acknowledgement.

He could feel the flush of excitement crawl over his cheeks and he moved to hide it from her view by raising his drink up to his lips, but, she wasn't having it. With a mischievous grin spreading on her delicate mouth, she leaned across the table in his direction. One of her slender hands traveled along the wooden surface and up his arm.

Shikamaru's breath caught in his throat at her light touch. He was powerless to stop her as her long, delicate fingers traced a path along his skin of his hand until they curled around his glass. He didn't protest when she relieved him of his drink, bringing it up to her plush, pink lips. He couldn't resist watching the motions along her throat as she tilted her head back and downed the beverage in a series of quick swallows.

His brain exploded with dirty images, fantasies of Sakura sucking his dick and drinking down his seed with the same enthusiasm that she drank his alcohol.

The loud clank of her slamming the now empty glass on the table shook him out of his thoughts. A gasp left her mouth at the sharp bite of the drink and her tongue slipped out to trace her lips, determined to not let a single drop to escape.

Shikamaru couldn't repress the shudder of desire that shot throughout his whole body. He was definitely fully hard now.

Sakura shot him a saucy smile that didn't quite reach her smoky, green eyes before she turned to locate their server. Once she had the woman's attention, she held up the now empty glass and two fingers. Satisfied that the waitress understood her order, Sakura sent the Nara a flirtatious wink and turned her attention back to their other friends around the table.

The shadow user was left in his corner. His body tense with turbulent arousal and restlessness, hidden under a facade of shinobi indifference.

He wasn't the only man of their group to be affected by her presence.

Sasuke's hand had left its perch on her shoulder and now rested on the back of her neck, his fingers playing with the ties of her dress. A quick tug would have freed the garment, exposing her luscious breasts to everyone's view. Shikamaru cursed the Uchiha's impulse control, knowing that there was no way he could have resisted the temptation.

Even Sai, who was sucking on Ino's fingers intently, fixed his gaze upon the dip in the front of Sakura's dress.

Rock Lee ignored their waitress when she returned with Sakura's order, choosing instead to ply the pink-haired goddess with flowery compliments. She didn't respond to his flattering words, just took the two drinks in hand. Sliding one of the glasses in Shikamaru's direction, Sakura held her own in an invitation.

Shikamaru took hold of the offered beverage, rising it to clink softly against Sakura's glass in a silent toast before downing the drink. His eyes never left her face as she did the same.

He finally reached his breaking point. He just had to touch her.

A few hand signs hidden under the edge of the table and his shadows eased outward, running stealthily along the floor in the kunoichi's direction. The inky, blackness of his jutsu wound its way up the legs of her chair, avoiding contact with the naked skin of her legs until they reached the hemline of her dress. They eased under the edge of the garment and spread across her upper thighs, blending its touch with the silky fabric to avoid notice.

He waited until she sifted slightly in her seat to send his shadows to explore around the lace of her panties. Carefully, slowly the tendril slid under the elastic and into the tight curls covering her sex.

Sakura tensed at the intrusion, her eyes flickering around the table quickly and the parting of her lips gave evidence to the increased rate of her breath.

Witnessing her tentative arousal, Shikamaru's shaft twitched with need so he sent another vine of shadow down his own pants to loving stroke his erection. Through the jutsu, he was able to feel as the tendril dipped inside her folds.

Oh, the sweet wetness. Shikamaru had to close his eyes, drowning out the noise and chaos of the bar, in order to concentrate solely on the sensations flooding him. Building desires made it hard for him to maintain his normal, bored facial expression. Pre-cum began to stain the front of his pants with a patch of dampness but Shikamaru took no notice of it.

"Nara!" His eyes shot open at the furious bark of his name. The shadows of his jutsu dissipated while Shikamaru met the enraged gaze of the Copy Nin. The older shinobi was standing behind Sakura's chair, his lanky body leaned over the top of her in a clearly aggressive, protective stance. Shikamaru's mouth turned down in displeasure at the interruption, but wisely said nothing.

Kakashi leaned down, placing his mouth next to her ear and whispered softly to her. She turned her head slightly towards him, nodding in agreement to whatever it was he said. He took hold of her hand, helping her rise to her feet. He wrapped his other arm around the kunoichi's waist, his grip settling low on her hip. They turned away from the table, heading in the direction of the dance floor.

After just a few steps, Kakashi stopped and looked over his shoulder at Shikamaru, "Nara, report to headquarters in the morning at eight." The low, angry tone of his voice told the shadow user all he needed to know.

Shikamaru was forced to watch as the older shinobi lead Sakura to the cluster of bodies on the dance floor. He was helpless to do anything when Kakashi twirled her around and gathered her lush curves close.

"Fuck!" Shikamaru's chest was tight with jealousy and rage. Not only did he miss out on a chance with Sakura, but now he was guaranteed a psych evaluation. He quickly downed the last of his drink and, with a quick wave to his friends around the table, he rose from his seat to leave.

He would not find his release here tonight.

Crossing the length of the bar with quick steps, Shikamaru paused with his hand on the handle of the front door. He sent one more glance at the dance floor.

Sakura was faced away from him, held tightly in the Copy Nin's embrace. Kakashi was running one of his hands up and down her back and had a tight grip in her hair with the other. He was placing gentle kisses from her ear to soft, exposed skin of her shoulder, but his gaze was zeroed in on Shikamaru. His mismatched eyes narrowed and promised more to fear than just a mental checkup.

The message was clear. This woman belonged to him and Shikamaru was not to touch her.

The two men stared at each other for several minutes. Their gazes locked in challenge, until finally, Shikamaru averted his gaze and exited the bar.

Kakashi, satisfied that he had run off the other male, returned his attentions to the woman in his arms. His alpha status and claim well defended.

Dawn broke upon the village, spreading out soft rays of sunlight to illuminate all the dark places of Konoha. People were already up and moving around, bringing life back to empty streets.

A growing crowd of shinobi and curious civilians had begun to gather at the opening to a side alley next to a local bar.

Laying in the dirt and trash of the backstreet was the dead body of a civilian woman. The only thing remarkable about was the manner of her death. She lay, naked, in a pool of her own blood. Her throat had been cut wide open and her eyes fixed on the lightening sky above her.

However, her murder was not the strangest part of this scene.

Her killer had painted the woman's normally brown hair a vivid shade of pink.


End file.
